The poems & sonnets of Henry Constable

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University of California • Berkeley

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THE POEMS

&

SONNETS

OF

HENRY CONSTABLE

THE

SHEEPHEARD'S

SONG

OF

VENUS 6- ADONIS

H. C

ENUS
FAIRE
DID
RIDE.
SILVER
DOVES
THEY
DREW
HER,
BY THE
PLEASANT LAWNDS,
ERE THE SUNNE DID
RISE;

VESTA'S BEAUTIE RICH
OPEN'D WIDE TO VIEW
HER;

PHILOMEL RECORDS
PLEASING HARMONIES.

Every bird of spring

Chccrcfully did sing ;

Paphos' goddcssc they salute;

Now Love's Queene so faire

Had of mirth no care,

For her sonne had made her mute.

In her breast so tender

He a shaft did enter,

When her eyes beheld a boy;

Adonis was he named,

By his mother shamed;

Yet he now is Venus' joy.

Him alone she met

Ready bound for hunting;

Him she kindly greetes,

And his journey stayes;

Him she seekes to kisse,

No devises wanting;

Him her eyes still wooe;

Him her tongue still prayes.

He w^ith blushing red

Hangeth downe the head;

Not a kisse can he afford;

His face is turn'd away;

Silence sayd her nay;

Still she woo'd him for a w^ord.

Speake, she said, thou fairest;

Beautie thou impairest.

See me, I am pale and wan;

Lovers all adore mee,

I for love implore thee.

Christall teares w^ith that downe ran.

IV

Him hccrc'-with shcc forc'd

To come sit downc by her;

Shcc his neck embraced, CAot.

Gazing in his face; g

Hee, like one transformed, . :

Stir'd no looke to eye her; "^^

Every hearbe did wooe him

Growring in that place,

Each bird with a dittie

Prayed him for pitty

In behalfe of Beautie's Queene.

Water's gentle murmour

Craved him to love her.

Yet no liking could be seene.

Boy, she sayd, looke on mee.

Still I gaze upon thee;

Speake, I pray thee, my delight!

Coldly hee replyed,

And in breefe denyed

To bestow on her a sight:

I am now too young

To be wunne by beauty;

Tender are my yeeres,

I am yet a bud.

Fay re thou art, shee said;

Then it is thy dutie,

Wert thou but a blossome.

To effect my good.

Every beauteous flow^er

Boasteth in my power;

Byrds and beasts my lawes effect;

Mirrha, thy faire mother,

Most of any other

Did my lovely hcsts respect.
Be with me delighted,
Xhou shalt be requited:
Every Nimph on thee shall tend,
All the Gods shall love thee,
Man shall not reprove thee,
Love himselfe shall be thy freend.
Wend thee from mee, Venus;
I am not disposed;
Thou wringst mee too hard;
Pre'-thee let me goe.
Fie! what a paine it is
Thus to be enclosed!
If love begin w^ith labour
It w^ill end in woe.
Kiss me, I w^ill leave.
Heere a kisse receive:
A short kisse I doe it find;
Wilt thou leave me sor^
Yet thou shalt not goe.
Breathe once more thy balmie w^ind;
It smelleth of the mirh-tree
That to the w^orld did bring thee.
Never wras perfume so sw^eet.
When she thus had spoken
Shee gave him a token,
And theyr naked bosoms meet.
Now^, hee sayd, let's goe;
Harke, the hounds are crying,
Grieslie Boare is up,
Hunts-men follow fast.
At the name of Boare
Venus seemed dying,
vi

Deadly coloured pale,

Roses over '-cast.

Speake, sayd shee, no more

Of following the Boar e,

Xhou unfit for such a chase;

Course the fearefuU Hare,

Venson do not spare.

If thou wilt yeeld Venus grace.

Shun the Boare, I pray thee;

Else I still will stay thee.

Herein he vowed to please her minde.

Then her armes enlarged;

Loth shee him discharged;

Forth he w^ent as sw^ift as w^inde.

Thetis Phoebus* steedes

In the w^est retained,

Hunting sport w^as past;

Love her love did seeke.

Sight of him too soone.

Gentle Queene, shee gained.

On the ground he lay;

Blood had left his cheeke;

For an orpedJS swine

Smit him in the groyne;

Deadly w^ound his death did bring.

Which when Venus found,

She fell in a s wound;

And aw^akt, her hands did wring.

Nimphs and Satires skipping.

Came together tripping;

Eccho every cry exprest.

^orped: fierce.

Vll

Venus, by her powrer ,

Turn'd him to a flo\vcf ,

Which shcc wear cth in her creast.

THE END

vm

DAMELUS'SONGTOHISDIAPHENIA,

lAPHENIA.likcthcDaffadown-

dillic,
White as the sunne, fair e as the

liUie,
Heigh hoe, ho\v I doo love thee!
I doo love thee as my lambs
Are beloved of their Dams;
How blest \vere I if thou would'st proove me!

Diaphenia, like the spreading Roses,

That in thy s\veetes all s>veetes incloses,

Faire sweete, how I doo love thee!

I doo love thee as each flower

Loves the sunne's lifc'- giving power;

For dead, thy breath to life might moove me.

Diaphenia, like to all things blessed,
When all thy praises are expressed,
Deare Joy, how I doo love thee!
As the Birds doo love the spring.
Or the Bees their carefuU King;
Then in requite, sw^eet Virgin, love me.

IX

^ A PASTORALL SONG BETWEENE
PHILLIS AND AMARILLIS, TWO NIM-
PHES, EACH AUNSWERING OTHER
LINE FOR LINE.

IE on the sleights that men

devise,
Heigh hoe, sillie sleights!
When simple Maydes they

would entice;
Maides are yong men's

chiefe delights.
Nay, wromen they \vitch with
their eyes,
Eyes like beames of burning sunne;
And men once caught they soone despise;
So are Sheepheards oft undone.

If any young man w^in a maide,

Happy man is he ;

Bv trusting him she is betraide;

Fie upon such treacherie.

If Maides win young men with their guiles,

Heigh hoe, guilefuU greefe!

They deale like weeping Crocodiles,

That murther men w^ithout releefe.

I know^ a simple country Hinde,

Heigh hoe, sillie sw^aine!

To w^hom faire Daphne prooved kinde.

Was he not kinde to her againe.''

He vow^ed by Pan with many an oath,

Heigh hoe, Sheepheards' God is he!

Yet since hath chang'd, and broke his troath,
Troth-plight broke will plagued be.

She had deceaved many a swaine,
Fie on false deceite!
And plighted troath to them in vaine,
There can be no greefe more great.
Her measure was with measure paide,
Heigh hoe, heigh hoe, equall meede!
She was beguil'd that had betraide,
So shall all deceavers speede.

If every Maide were like to me,
Heigh hoe, hard of hart!
Both love and lovers scorn'd should be,
Scorners shall be sure of smart.
If every Maide were of my minde,
Heigh hoe, heigh hoe, lovely sweete!
They to their lovers should proove kinde,
Kindnes is for maydens meete.

Me thinks love is an idle toy,
Heigh hoe, busie paine!
Both wit and sence it dooth annoy.
Both sence and wit thereby we gaine.
Tush, Phillis! cease, be not so coy;
Heigh hoe, heigh hoe, coy disdaine!
I know^ you love a Sheepheard's boy,
Fie, that Maydens so should faine!

Well, Amarillis, now I yeeld;

Sheepheards, pipe aloude!

Love conquers both in towne and field,

xi

Like a tirant fierce and proude.
The evening starre is up, ye see;
Vesper shines; we must away.
Would every Lover might agree,
So we end our Roundelay.

Xll

I"

»

TO HIS FLOCKS,

EEDE on, my Flocks, securely,
Your Sheepheard watcheth surely.
Runne about, my little Lambs,
Skip and wanton with your Dam'-
mes.

Your loving Heard w^ith care w^ill tend ye.

Sport on, faire flocks, at pleasure,

Nip Vesta's flowring treasure;

I my self will duely harke.

When my w^atchfuU dogge dooth barke,

From Woolfe and Foxe I will defend ye.

xm

TO
HIS MISTRISSE

XIV

RACE full of grace, though

in these verses heere
My love complaynes of others

then of thee,
Yet thee alone I lov'd, Cjthey

bymee
(Thow yet unknowne) only

mistaken were.

Like him which feeles a heate, now heere, now

there,
Blames now this cause, now that, untill he see
The fire indeed from whence they caused bee;
Which fire I now doe know^e is you, my deare!

Thus diverse loves, dispersed in my verse,
In thee alone for ever I unite.
But foUie unto thee more to rehearse:
To him I flye for grace that rules above,
That by my grace I may live in delight,
Or by his grace I never more may love.

XV

E SOLVED to love, unworthy to

obtainc,
I doc no favour crave; but humble

-wise
To thee my sighes in verse I sacri-
fise,
Onely some pitty and no hclpc to gainc.

Heare then; and as my hart shall aye remaine
A patient object to thy lightning eyes,
A patient care bring thou to thundring cryes;
Fear not the cracke, \vhen I the blow sustains

So, as thine eye bred mine ambitious thought,
So shall thine care make proud my voyce for joy;
Lo (Deere) what wonders great by thee are

w^rought,
When I but little favours doe enjoy;
The voyce is made the care for to rejoyce.
And your eare giveth pleasure to my voyce.

XVi

LY low, dccf c Love, thv Sunnc

doost thou not sec r
Take heede; do not so neare his

rayes aspyre,
Least (for thy pride, inflam'd with
wreakful ire)
It burne thy w^ings, as it hath burned me.

Thou (haply) saist thy wings immortall bee,
And so cannot consumed be with fire;
The one is Hope, the other is Desire,
And that the heavens bestow'd them both on
thee»

A Muse's w^ords made thee w^ith Hope to flye.
An Angel's face Desire hath begot.
Thy selfe engendred of a Goddesse'eye:
Yet for all this, immortall thou are not.
Of heavenly eye though thou begotten art,
Yet art thou borne but of a mortall hart.

xvu

HINE eye, the glasse
where I behold my
hart;

Mine eye, the wrindovsr
through the which
thine eye

May see my hart, ©'there
thy selre espy
In bloody cuUours how thou painted art;

Thine eye the pyle is of a murdring dart.
Mine eye the sight thou tak'st thy levell by
To hit my hart, and never shootes awry;
Mine eye thus helpes thine eye to w^orke my
smart;

Thine eye a fire is, both in heate and lighte;
Mine eye of teares a river doth become.
Oh, that the w^ater of mine eye had might
To quench the flames that from thine eye doth

come;
Or that the fire kindled by thine eye
The flowing streames of mine eyes could make

drie*

XVlli

ELIGHT In yourc bright eyes my

death did breede,
As light and glittering weapons

babes allure
To play with fire and sworde, and
so procure
Them to be burnt and hurt ere they take heed.

Thy beautie so hath made me burne and bleed;
Yet shall my ashes and my bloud assure
Thy beauty's fame for ever to endure;
For thy fame's life from my death doth proceed;

Because my hearte, to ashes burned, giveth
Life to thy fame, thou right a phoenix art;
And like a pellican thy beautie liveth
By sucking bloud oute of my breast and

hearte.
Loe! w^hy w^ith w^onder w^e may thee compare
Unto the pelican and phoenix rare.

XIX

HEN youre perfections to my

thoughts appear e,
They say among themselves: O

happy wee
Which ever shall so rare an ob'-
ject see!
But happy hart, if thoughts lesse happy were*

For their delights have cost my hart full dere,
In w^hom of love a thousand causes be,
And each cause breeds a thousand loves in me,
And each love more then thousand harts can
beare.

How can my hart so many loves then hold,
Which yet (fcy heapes) increase from day to dayr'
But, like a shyp that's overcharged v/ith gold.
Must either sinke, or hurle the gold away*
But hurle out love; thou canst not, feeble hart!
In thine ow^ne blood thou therefore drowned art*

XX

Tmay be Love my death

doth not pretend,
Ahhough he shoots at

mee; but thinks it fit
Thus to bewitch thee for

my benefit.
Causing thy will to my

wish condiscend.

For witches which some murther doe intend
Doe make a picture and doe shoote at it;
And in that part w^here they the picture hit
The party's selfe doth languish to his end.

So Love, too w^eake by force thy hart to taint,
Within my hart thy heavenly shape doth paint,
Suffring therein his arrowes to abide;
Onely to th'end he might, by witches' arte,
Within my hart pierce through thy picture's side.
And through thy picture's side might wound thy
hart»

zxi

LAME not my hart for flying up

too hie,
Sith thou art cause that it this flight

begunne;
For earthly vapours, drawne up by
the Sunne,
Comets begun, and night sunnes, in the skie.

Mine humble hart, so with thy heavenly eie
Drawne up aloft, all low desires doth shunne;
Raise then me up, as thou my hart hast done;
So, during night, in heaven remaine may I.

I say againe: Blame not my high desire;
Sith of us both the cause thereof depends;
In thee doth shine, in mee doth burne, a fire.
Fire draw^es up other and it selfe ascends:
Thine eye a fire, and so drawes up my love;
My love a fire, and so ascends above.

xxu

YES cufiousc to behold
\vhat nature can cre-
ate,

Come see, come see, and
write what w^onder
yow doe see.

Causing by true reporte
our nexte posteritye

Curse Fortune for that

they were borne so late.

Come then and come ye all; come soone, least

that
The tyme should be to shorte and men to few

should be:
For all be few to write her least part's historic,
Though they should ever w^rite, and never w^rite

but that.

Millions looke on her eyes, millions thinke on her

witte.
Millions speake of her, millions write of her

hand.
The w^hole eye or the lip I doe not understand,
Millions to few to prayse but some one part of it»
As eyther of her eye or lip or hand to write,
The light or blacke, the tast or red, the soft or

wmte.

XXlil

ADIE ! in bcautie and in favour

rare,
Of favour (not of due) I favour

crave;
Nature to thee beauty and favour
gave;
Faire then thou art, and favour thou maist spare;

Nor \vhen on mee bestowr'd your favours are,
Lesse favour in your face you shall not have;
If favour then a wounded soule may save,
Of murther's guilt (deare Lady) then beware.

My losse of life a million fold were lesse

Than the least losse should unto you befall;

Yet graunt this gyft; which gift when I possesse,

Both I have life, and you no losse at all.

For by your favour onely I doe live;

And favour you may w^ell both keepe and give.

XXIV

ADIE of ladies, the delight alone
For which to heaven earth doth

no envie beare;
Seeing and hearing thee -wc see

and heare
Such voice, such light, as never sunge nor shone.

The vsrant of heaven, I grant, yet we may moane,
Not for the pleasure of the angells there,
As though in face or voyce they like thee were,
But that they many bee and thow but one»

The basest notes w^hich from thy voyce proceed
The treble of the angells doe exceed.
So that I feare theyre quire to beautifie.
Lest thow^ to some in heaven shall singe G- shine;
Loe! w^hen I heare thee singe, the reason w^hy
Sighes of my breast keepe tyme w^ith notes of
thine.

XXV

OT that thy hand is soft, is swccte,

is white,
Thy lippcs sweet roses, breast

sweet lylye is,
That love esteemes these three the
chiefest blisse
Which nature ever made for lipps' delight;

But w^hen these three, to shew theyre heavenlye

might.
Such w^onders doe, devotion then for this
Commandeth us with humble zeale to kisse
Such thinges as w^orke miracles in oure sight.

A lute of senselesse woode, by nature dumbe,
Toucht by her hand doth speak devinelye well;
And from thy lips and breast sweet tunes doe

come
To my dead hearte, the w^hich new^ life doe give.
Of greater w^onders heard w^e never tell
Then for the dumbe to speak, the dead to live.

XXVI

WEETE Sovcraignc! sith

so many minds remainc
Obedient subjects at thy

beauty's call,
So many harts bound in thy

haires as thrall,
So many eyes die with one

look's disdaine;

Goe seeke the honour that doth thee pertaine,
That the fift Monarchic may thee bemll;
Thou hast such meanes to conquer men withall,
As all the world must yeeld or els be slaine.

To fight thou need'st no w^eapons but thine

eyes;
Thine haire hath gold enough to pay thy men;
And for their foode thy beauty will suffise,
For men and armour (Lady) care have none;
For one will sooner yeeld unto thee then
When he shall meete thee naked all alone.

xxvii

HEN bcautictothcworld vouch'-

safes this blissc,
To shew the one vsrhose other

there is not,
The whitest skinnes red blushing
shame doth blot,
And in the reddest cheekes pale envie is.

The fayre and fow^le come thus alike by this;
For when the sun hath oure horizon gott,
Venus her selfe doth shine no more (God wot)
Then the least starre that take the light from his*

The poore in beautie thus content remayne
To see theyre jealouse cause revenged in thee,
And theyre fayre foes afflicted w^ith the payne;
Loe, the cleare proofe of thy devinitye !
For unto God is only dew^ this prayse:
The highest to pluck downe, the low to rayse.

xxvui

ALSLYdtoth cnvic of your praises

blame
My tongue, my pen, my hart, of

flattery;
Because I said there was no sunne
but thee,
It caird my tongue the partiall trumpe of Fame;

And saith my pen hath flattered thy name,
Because my pen did to my tongue agree;
And that my hart must needs a flattrer bee.
Which taught both tongue and pen to say the
same*

No, no, I flatter not, when thee I call
The sunne, sith that the sunne was never such;
But w^hen the sunne thee I compared withall
Doubtles the sunne I flattered too much.
Witnes mine eyes, I say the trueth in this:
They have scene thee, and know^ that so it is.

XXIX

Y Lady's presence makes the

Roses red,
Because to see her lips they blush

for shame;
The Lyllies' leaves (for envy)
pale became,
And her white hands in them this envie bred.

The Marigold the leaves abroad doth spred,
Because the sunne's and her powrer is the same;
The Violet of purple cuUour came,
Di'd in the blood shee made my hart to shed.

In briefe, all flowers from her their vertue take;
From her sw^eet breath their sw^eet smels do

proceede;
The living heate w^hich her eye beames doth

make
Warmeth the grounde, 6jquickeneth the seede.
The raine wherev^ith shee w^atereth the flow^ers
Falls from mine eyes, w^hich she dissolves in

showers*

XXX

WEET hand! the sweet but cruell

bowe thou art,
From whence at mee five yvorie

arrowesflie;
So w^ith five woundes at once I
wounded lie,
Bearing my brest the print of every dart.

Saint Fraunces had the like, yet felt no smart,
Where I in living torments never die;
Hisw^oundes were in his hands and feete, where I
All these five helplesse w^ounds feele in my hart.

Now (as Saint Fraunces) if a Saint am I,
The bowe that shot these shafts a relique is;
I meane the hand; w^hich is the reason w^hy
So many for devotion thee would kisse;
And some thy glove kisse, as a thing divine:
This arrow^es' quiver, and this relique's shrine.

XXXI

HE Fouler hides, (as

closely as he may)
The net where caught the

sillie bird should be;
Least he the threatning

pry son shouldbut see,
And so for feare be forc'd

to flye a^vay.

My Ladye so, the while shee doth assay
In curled knots fast to entangle me.
Puts on her vaile, to th'end 1 should not flee
The golden net w^herein I am a ptay.

Alas (most sw^eet!) w^hat neede is of a net

To catch a byrd that is already tamer'

Sith with your hand alone you may it get,

For it desires to flie into the same;

What needes such arte, my thoughts then to in*

trap.
When of themselves they flye into your lapr'

xxxii

TO HIS MISTRISSE UPONTHE OCCA-
SION OF A PETRARCH HE GAVE HER.
IRACLE of the world! I never

will denye
That former poets prayse the

beautie of theyre dayes;
But all those beauties were but
figures of thy prayse,
And afl those poets did of thee but prophecye.

Thy coming to the world hath taught us to des*-

crie
What Petrarch's Laura meant, for truth the lips

bewrayes,
Loe! w^hy th* Italians, yet w^hich never saw^ thy

rayes,
To finde oute Petrarch's sence such forged

glosses trye.

The beauties w^hich he in a vayle enclos'd be--

held
But revelations w^ere within his secreat heart,
By w^hich in parables thy coming he foretold;
Hissongesw^ere hymnes of thee, w^hich only now

before
Thy image should be sunge; for thou that god*-

desse art
Which onlye we withoute idolatrye adore.

XXXlll

FRIEND of mincpitty'-

ing my hopelcsse

love,
Hoping (by killing hope)

my love to slay,
Let not (quoth he) thy

hope thy hart betray,
Impossible it is her hart

to move,

But, sith resolved love cannot remove
As long as thy divine perfections stay,
Thy Godhead then he sought to take away.
Deere! seeke revenge, and him a lyar prove;

Gods onely doe impossibilities.
Impossible (saith he) thy grace to gaine.
Show then the power of thy divinities
By graunting me thy favour to obtaine;
So shall thy foe give to himselfe the lie,
A Goddesse thou shalt prove, and happy L

xxxiv

AIRE Sunnct if you would have

mc praise your light,
When night approcheth, where-
fore doe you flie.^
Time is so short, beauties so many
be,
That I have neede to see them day and night;

That by continuall view^ my verses might
Tell all the beames of your divinitie;
Which praise to you, and joy should be to mee:
You living by my verse, I by your sight.

I by your sight, but not you by my verse;
Neede mortall skill immortall praise rehearser'
No, no; though eyes w^ere blinde, G* verse w^ere

dumb,
Your beautie should be seene, 6>y6ur fame

know^n;
For by the winde which from my sighes doe

come
Your praises round about the world be blowne.

XXXV

HE sunnc, his journey ending in

the West,
Taking his lodging up in Thetis'

bed,
Though from our eyes his beames
he banished,
Yet writh his light th' antipodes be blest.

Nowr when the sun-time brings my sunne to

rest,
(Which mee too oft of rest hath hindered)
And wrhiter skinne 'with w^hite sheetes covered,
And softer cheeke doth on soft pillow^ rest;

Then I (oh sunne of sunnes, and light of lights!)
Wish mee w^ith those Antipodes to be,
Which see and feele thy beames and heate by

nights.
Well though the night both cold and darksome

is;
Yet halfe the day's delight the night graunts

mee:
I feele my sunne's heate though his light I misse.

xxxvi

TOOVREQi. '
AND
THE K. OF SCOTS.

XXXVIl

TO THE Q^ AFTER HIS RETURNE
OUTEOFITALYE.

OT longc agoe, in Poland tr aveil'-

ing,
Changing my tongue, my nation

and my weedc,
Mayne wor dcs I heard from for*-
reyne mouth proceed,
Theyre wonder and thy glorie witnessing;

How from thy wisdome did those conquests

spring
Which ruin'd them thy ruine w^hich decreed.
But such as envyed thee in this agreed:
Thy iland's seate did thee most succoure bring;

So, if the sea by miracle were drye,
Easie thy foes thy kingdome might invade.
Fooles, which know^enotthepow^er of thyneeye!
Thine eye hath made a thousand eyes to w^eepe,
And every eye a thousand seas hath made,
And each sea shall thyne ile in safetie keepe«

XXXVlll

TO THE QU EENE : TOUCHING THE
CRUELL EFFECTS OF HER PERFEC-
TIONS.

O ST sacred Prince! why should

I thee thus prayse
Which both of sin and sorrowe

cawse has beene :
Proude hast thowr made thy land
of such a Queene ;
Thy neighboures enviouse of thy happie dayes.

Whoe never saw the sunshine of thy rayes,
An everlasting night his life doth w^een;
And he w^hose eyes thy eyes but once have

scene
A thousand signes of burning thoughts bew^rayes*

Thus sin thow caus'd, (envye, I meane, 6> pride)
Thus sin and darknesse doe proceed from thee;
The very paynes w^hich men in hell abide.
Oh no; not hell, but purgatorie this,
Whose sowles some say by angells punish'd be,
For thou art shee from w^home this torment is.

XXXIX

TO THE Q.: UPON OCCASION OF A
BOOKE HE WROTE, IN AN ANSWER
TO CERTAYNE OBJECTIONS AGAIN-
STHER PROCEEDINGS INTHE LOW-
COUNTRYES.

HE love wherewith

youre ver tues chayne

my sprite
Envyes the hate I beare

unto your foe;
Since hatefull pen had

meanes his hate to

showe,

And love like means had not of love to wryte;

I meane, write that your vertues doe endite,
From w^hich spring all my conceyts doe flow, J0
And of my pen my sword doth enviouse growe,
That pen before my sword youre foes should
smite.

And to my inke my bloud doth envie beare,
That in youre cause more inke then bloud I shed;
Which envie, though it be a vice, yet heere
'Tis vertue, sith youre vertues have it bred.
Thus powerfuU youre sacred vertues be,
Which vice it selfe a vertue makes in me.

ja a word is wanting.

TO THE K. OF SCOTS, WHOME AS
YET HE HAD NOT SEENE.

LOOME of the rose! I hope those

hands to kisse
Which yonge a scepter, wrhich

olde wisdome bore;
And offer up joy^'sacrifice before
Thy altar^'throne for that receaved blisse.

Yet, prince of hope! suppose not for all this
That I thy place and not thy guifts adore;
Thy scepter, no, thy pen, I honoure more;
More deare to me then cro\vne thy garland is;

That laurell garland vsrhich, if hope say true,

To thee for deeds of prowesse shall belong,

And now allreadie unto thee is due.

As to a David for a kinglie throne.

The pen wherewith thou dost so heavenly^ singe

Made of a quill pluckt from an angelFs w^mge.

xU

TO THE K, OF SCOTS, TOUCHING
THE SUBJECT OF HIS POEMS DEDI-
CATED WHOLIE TO HEAVENLY
MATTERS. _

HERE others hooded with

blind love doe flie
Low on the ground w^ith buz*-

zard Cupid's wings,
A heavenlie love, from love of
love thee brings,
And makes thy Muse to mount above the skie;

Young Muses be not w^ont to flie too hie.
Age taught by Time such sober ditties sings;
But thy youth flies from love of youthfuU things,
And so the wrings of Time doth overflies

Thus thou disdainst all worldlie things as slow;
Because thy Muse, with Angel's wings, doth

leave
Time's wings behind, and Cupid's wings below;
But take thou heed, least Fame's wings thee

deceave.
With all thy speede from Fame thou canst not

flee.
But more thou flees, the more it foUowes thee*

xlii

TO THE K. OF SCOTS, UPON OCCAS^
ION OF A SONNET THE K. WROTE
IN COMPLAINT OF A CONTRARIE
WIND WHICH HINDRED THE ARRI-
VALLOFTHEQUEENEOUTEOFDEN-
MARK. MDLXXXIX.

F I durst sigh still as I had

begun,
Or durst shed teares in

such abundant store,
You should have need to

blame the sea no

more,
Nor call upon the wind

as you have done;

For from myne eyes an ocean-sea should run

Which the desired ships should carrie o'r,

And my sighes blowre such winde from northern

shore
As soone you should behold youre wished sun.

But with those sighes my deare displeased is.
Which should both hast your joye and slake my

payne;
Yet for my good w^ill, O kinge! grant me this:
When to the winds yow sacrifice agayne,
Sith I desir'd my sighes should blow^ for thee.
Desire thou the winds to sigh for me.

xliii

TO THE K. OF SCOTS UPON OCCA^
SION OF HIS LONGE STAY IN DEN-
MARKE BY REASON OFTHE COLD-
NESSE OFTHE WINTER AND FREE-
ZING OFTHE SEA.

F I durst love as hccr tofor c I have,
Of that my heart durst flame as it

doth Durne,
The ice should not so longe stay
youre returne,
My heart should easely thaw the frozen wave;

But when my payne makes me for pittie crave,
The blindest see with what just cause I mourne;
So least my torment to his blame should turne.
My hearte is forc'd to hide the fire she gave.

But what doth neede the sea my heart at allr'
Thow^ and the spouse be suns; in beautye shee,
In wisdome thow; the sun we Phoebus cali^
And Phoebus for thy wisdome we call thee;
Now if the sun can thaw the sea alone,
Cannot two suns supplie the want of oner'

xliv

TO

PARTICULAR LADIES

WHOME

HE

MOST HONOURED.

xlv

TO THE PRINCESS OF ORANGE.

F nature for her workes

proud ever were,
It was for this: that she

created yow^;
Youre sacred head, w^hich

w^isdome doth indue,
Is only fitte a diademe to

weare.

Your lilie hand, which fayrer doth appeare
Then ever eye beheld in shape and hue,
Vnto no other use by right is due
Except it be a scepter for to beare.

Your cherrie lips by Nature framed be
Hearts to commaund; youre eye is only fitte
With his vv^ise lookes kingdomes to oversee;
O happie land, w^hose soveraigne thou hadst

beene!
But God on earth full blisse will not permitte,
And this is only cause: yow^ are no Qjjeene.

xlvi

TO THE COUNTESSE OF SHREWS-
BURYE.^

LAYNLIE I write because I will

write true;
If ever Marie but the Virgin were
Meete in the realme of heaven a
crow^ne to beare,
I, as my creed, believe that it is you!

And for the world this He and age shall rue
The bloud and fire was shed and kindled heere,
When w^oemen of youre name the crowne did

beare,
And youre high worth not crownd with honoure

due.

But God, which meant for rebell fayth and sin
His foes to punish, and his owne to trye,
Would not youre sacred name imploy therein;
For good and bad he w^ould should you adore^
Which never any burnt but with youre eye,
And maketh them you punish love you more.

xlvii

TO THE COUNTESSES OF CUMBER-
LAND AND WARWICK, SISTERS.

OU sister Muses! doe not ye re*-

pine
That I two sisters doe with nyne

compare;
For eyther of these sacred two
more rare
In vertue is then all the heavenly nyne.

But if ye aske w^hich one is more devine,
I say: like to theyre owne twin-'eyes they are.
Where eyther is as cleere as clearest starre,
Yet neyther doth more cleare then other shine.

Sisters of spotlesse fame! of whome alone
Malitiouse tongues take pleasure to speake w^ell;
How^ should I yow commend, when eyther one
All things in heaven and earth so far excell.^
The highest prayse that I can give is this:
That one of you like to the other is.

xlviii

TO MY LADIE ARBELLA,

HAT wrof thic Marques-

sc, pride of Italic!
Whoe for all worth, and

for her wit G- phrase,
Both best deserved, and

best desert could

prayse,
Immortall Ladie! is re^-

viv'd in thee.

But thinke not strange that thy divinitie

I by some goddesse' title doe not blaze,

But through a woeman's name thy glorie rayse;

For things unlike of unlike prayses be.

When w^e prayse men, we call them gods; but

when
We speake of gods we liken them to men;
Not them to prayse, but only them to knowe.
Not able thee to prayse, my drift w^as this:
Some earthlye shado we of thy w^orth to show^e, J0
Whose heavenly selfe above world's reason is.

J0 Evidently "showe"; Park has^shame."
xlix g

TO THE LADYARBELLA.

NLY hope of oufc age! that ver*-

tues dead
By youre sweet breath should be

reviv'd againe;
Learning, discourag d longe by
rude disdaine,
By youre white hands is only cherished*

Thus others' w^orth by yow is honoured;

But w^hoe shall honoure youres; poore w^its! in

vayne
We seeke to paye the debts which you pertayne,
Till from youre selfe some w^ealth be borrow^ed.

Lend some youre tongues, that every nation may
In his owne heare youre vertuous prayses blaz'd;
Lend them youre wit, youre judgment, memorye,
Least they themselves should not know^e w^hat to

say;
And, that thow mayst be lov'd as much as

prays'd,
My hearte thow^ mayst lend them, which I gave

thee.

TO MY LADIE RICH.

THAT my songc like to a

ship might be,
To bear e aboute the wrorld

my Lady's fame;
That, charged with the

riches of her name,
The Indians might oure

country's treasure see!

No treasure, they vv^ould say, is rich but she;
Of all theyre golden parts they would have

shame,
And hap'lye, that they might but see the same,
To give theyre gold for nought they w^ould

agree.

This wished voyage, though it I begin,
Withoute youre beauty's helpe cannot prevayle;
For as a ship doth beare the men therein.
And yet the men doe make the ship to sayle,
Your beauties so, w^hich in my verse apeare,
Doe move my verse and it your beauties beare.

li

if

TO THE LADIE RICH.

ERAULDS at armcs doc three

perfections quote,
To wit: most faire, most ritch,

most glittering;
So, when those three concurre
within one thing,
Needes must that thing of honor be a note.

Lately I did behold a ritch, faire coate,
Which w^ished Fortune to mine eyes did bring,
A lordly coate, yet w^orthy of a King,
In w^hich one might all these perfections note:

A field of lyllies roses proper bare,

Tw^o starres in chief e; the Crest w^as w^aves of

The lillies made it faire for to behold;
And ritch it w^as, as by the gold appeareth.
But happy he that in his armes it weareth.

ill

il

TO

SEVERALL PERSONS

UPON

SUNDRYE OCCASIONS.

liii m

TOTHE PRINCESSE OFORANGE, UP-
ON OCCASION OFTHEMURTHEROF
HER FATHER AND HUSBAND.

HEN mufdfing hands,
to quench the thirst
of tyrannie,
Theworld'smostwof-
thy e i' thy spouse &
father slew,
Wounding thy heart
through theyres, a
double yveli they
drew,
A w^ell of bloud from them, a w^ell of teares from
thee.

So in thyne eyes at once we fire and water see;
Fire doth of beautie spring, water of griefe ensue;
Whoe fire and water yet together ever knew.
And neyther water dry'd, nor fire quencht to bet^

But w^onder it is not thy water and thy fyre
Vnlike to others' be; thy w^ater fire hath bred.
And thy fire w^ater makes, for thyne eyes' fire

hath shed
Teares from a thousand hearts melted w^ith love's

desire;
And griefe to see such eyes bathed in teares of

woes,
A fire of revenge inflames against thy foes.

IV

TothcCOUNTESSEofSHREWSBURYE,
UPONOCCASIONOFHISDEARE MIS-
TRESSE.WHO LIV'DUNDERHERGO-
VERNMENT.

RUE, worthic Dame! if I thcc

chicftaync call
Of Venus' host, let others think no

ill;
I graunt that they he fayrc, but
what prince will
Chuse onlie by the force a generallr'

Beauties be but the forces w^herew^ithall
Ladies the hearts of private persons kill;
But these fayre forces to conduct w^ith skill
Venus chose yow the chiefest of them all.

To yow then, yow, the fayrest of the w^ise,
And w^isest of the fayre, I doe appeale.
A warrioure of youre campe by force of eyes
Mee prisoner tooke, and w^ill w^ith rigor deale,
Except yow^ pity in youre heart w^ill place;
At w^nose white hands I only seeke for grace.

Iv

TOTHE COUNTESSE OFPEMBROKE.

AD IE ! whomc by rcportcs I only

knowc,
Yet knowr so well, as I must thee

adore;
To honour e thee what neede I
seeke for more. '^
Thou art his Sister w^hom I honoured so.

Yet million tongues' reporte doth further showe
Of thy perfections, both such w^orth and store,
As wante of seeing thee paynes me sore, J£I
As sight of others hath procured my w^oe.

All parts of beautie, meeting in one place.
Doe dazle eye, feed love, and ravish w^itte;
Thy perfect shape envies thy princely grace.
Thy minde all say like to thy brother is.
What neede I then say more to honoure it.^
For I have praysed thyne by praysing his.

^ a w^ord seems w^anting.
Ivi

TOTHECOUNTESSEofESSEX,UPON
OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF HER
FIRST HUSBAND, SIR PHILIP SYD^
NEY.

WEETEST of ladies! if

thy pleasure be
To mufther hearts, stay not

in England still;
Revenge on Spaine thy

husband's death, G-kill
His foes, not them that love

both him and thee.

O sound revenge, that I desire to see;

If they be fooles wrhich wrish vv^ith theyre o>vne

will
Hurt to theyre foes; then what be they that w^ill.
With theyre ow^ne hurte, w^ish good to enemye.^

And thus doe I; and thus ambitiouse Spaine
Vnsatisfied the new'-found world to gayne,
Tw^o better w^orlds should have; I mean thyne

eyes.
And w^e oure w^orlde, oure w^orlde his sun should

misse^
Oure sun his heaven, thyne eye oure want sup-*

lies,
Oure w^orlde, oure sun, oure heaven, oure all

it is*

Ivii

TO THE LADIE CLINTON,

INCE onlycI,swcctLadic! ye be-
held,
Yet then such love I in your e looke

didfinde,
And such sweet gesses of youre
gratiouse mynd
As never a shorte tyme more happie held.

Forewarning vision which even then foretold
Th' eternall cheynes which since my heart did

binde,
Even there where first youre beames into me

shin'd,
The fatall prison w^here my heart I held.

And how came thisi^ It w^as thy lovely looke
Which doth perfume each place it sees vv^ith love,
As though from yow, my Deare, this sweetnesse

tooke,
Because w^here I saw her I yow^ had seen;
Yet every w^here, if any sight me move,
I know^e it is some place where yow^ have been.

Iviii

A CALCULATION UPON THE BIRTH
OF AN HONOURABLE LADY'S Jgl
DAUGHTER, BORNE IN THE YEERE
MDLXXXVIII, AND ON A FRIDAY^

AYRE by inheritance, whom |

borne wee see
Both in the wondrous yeere, and
on the day

Wherein the fairest Planet beareth

sway,
The heavens to thee this fortune doe decree:

Thou of a world of harts in time shalt be
A Monarch great, and w^ith one beauty's ray
So many hoasts of harts thy face shall slay
As all the rest (for love) shall yeeld to thee.

But even as Alexander (w^hen he knew^c
His Father's conquests) wept least he should

leave
No Kingdome unto him for to subdue,
So shall thy mother thee of praise bereave;
So many harts already shee hath slaine
As few behind to conquer shall remaine.

JZI Lady Rich,
lix

TO MR. MILLIARD, UPON OCCASION
OFA PICTURE HE MADE OFMYLADIE
RICH,

F Michacll the arch*-

paintcr nowr did live,
Because that Michaell he

an angell hight,
As par tiall for his fellow'-

angells, might
To Raphaell's skill much

prayse and honoure

^s55l

give.

But if in secreat I his judgment shrive,
It would confesse that no man knew aright
To give to stones and pearles true die and light,
Till first youre art with orient nature strive.

But thinke not yet yow did that art devise;
Nay, thank my Ladie that such skil you have;
For often sprinckling her black sparckling eyes.
Her lips and breast, taught you the . . . J0
To diamonds, rubies, pearles, the w^orth of which
Doth make the jew^ell v^rhich you paynt seeme
Rich.

J0 Words w^anting like "form you gave''
Ix

COMPLAYNTS

OF

MISFORTUNES

IN

LOVE.

Ixi

OW, now I love indeed, and suffer

more
In one day now then I did in a

yeare;
Great flames they be w^hich but
small sparkles were,
And w^ounded now^, I w^as but prickt before.

No mervayle then, though more then heretofore
I w^eepe and sigh : how^ can great w^ounds be

there
Where moysture runs not oute ^ and ever w^here
The fire is great of smoke there must be store.

My heart was hetherto but like green wood,
Which must be dry'd before it w^ill burn bright;
My former love served but my heart to drye;
Now^ Cupid for his fire doth find it good;
For now it burneth cleare, and shall give light
For all the w^orlde youre beautie to espie.

Izii

ONDER it is, and pittic is't

that shce
In whom all beauty's treasure

we may finde
That may enritch the body and
the mind,
Tow^ards the poore should use no charitie.

My love is gone a begging unto thee;
And if that Beauty had not beene more kind
Then pittie, long ere this he had beene pinde;
But Beautie is content his foode to bee.

Oh, pittie have, w^hen such poore Orphans beg:
Love (naked boy) hath nothing on his backe.
And though he wanteth neither arme or leg.
Yet maim d he is, sith he his sight doth lacke;
And yet (though blinde) he beautie can behold;
And yet (though nak'd) he feeles more heate than
cold.

Ixiii

ITTY refusing my poor c Love to

feede,
A beggar starved for want of heipe

he lies,
And at your mouth (the doore of
Beauty) cries;
That thence some almes of s\veete grants might
proceede*

But as he wraiteth for some almes-deede
A cherrie tree before the doore he spies.
Oh deare (quoth he) two cherries may suffise,
Tw^o only may save life in this my neede.

But beggars, can they naught but cherries eate ^
Pardon my Love, he is a Goddesse' sonne,
And never feedeth but on daintie tneate,
Els neede he not to pine as hee hath done;
For onely the swreet fruite of this sweete tree
Can give food to my Love, and life to mee.

Ixiv

If that one care had ourc tw^o hearts

possest,
Or you once^what I long suffered,
Then should thy heart accuse in my
heart's stead
The rigor of it selfe for myne unrest;

Then should thyne arme upon my shoulder rest,
And weight of griefe sway downe thy troubled

head;
Then should thy teares upon my sheet be shed,
And then thy heart should pant upon my breast.

But when that other cares thy heart doe seaze,
Alas! what succoure gayne 1 then by this,
But double griefe for thine and myne unease r'
Yet when thow seest thy hurts to w^ound my

heart.
And so art taught by me what pitye is,
Perhaps thy heart w^ill learne to feele my smart.

J0 a w^ord is w^anting; perhaps "felt'
Ixv i

NCIVILL sickness! hast thou no

regard,
But doost presume my deerest to

molest r'
And, without leave, dar*st enter in
that brest
Whereto sweet Love approch yet never dar'dr^

Spare thou her health, which my life hath not

spar'd;
Too t)itter such revenge of my unrest,
Although with wrongs my thought shee hath op-

prest.
My w^rongs seeke not revenge; they crave rC'-

w^ard.

Cease Sicknesse, cease in her then to remaine,
And come and welcome, harbour thou in me.
Whom Love long since hath taught to suffer

paine;
So shee which hath so oft my paine increast,
(O God, that I might so revenged be!)
By my poore paine might have her paine releast.

Ixvi

E ARE ! though from mc yourc

gratiousc lookcs depart,
And of that comfort doc my sclfc

bereave,
Which both I did deserve and did
rcceave;
Triumph not overmuch in this my smarte.

Nay, rather they which now enjoy thy heart
For feare just cause of mourning should con*-

ceave,
Least thow inconstant shouldst theyre trust de^

ceave
Which like unto the w^eather changing art.

For in foule weather byrds sing often w^ill
In hope of fayre, and in fayre tyme will cease,
For feare fayre tyme should not continue still;
So they may mourne which have thy heart pos-

sest
For feare of change, and hope of change may

ease
Theyre hearts w^home griefe of change doth now^

molest*

Ixvii

1

1

F ever any justlye might

complayne
Of unrequited service, it

is I;
Change is the thanks I

have for loyahye,
And onlye her rewarde is

her disdayne*

So as just spight did almost me constrayne,
Through torment, her due prayses to denye;
For he which vexed is w^ith injurye
By speaking ill doth ease his heart of payne.

But v/hat, shall tortor make me wrong her namer^
No, no, a prisoner constant thinkes it shame.
Though he be rackt, his first truth to gaynsay.^
Her true given prayse my first confession is.
Though her disdayn doe rack me night and day,
This I confest, and wrill denye in this.

^ "be" conjectured.
Ixviii

OF v''^'

THE END

AND

DEATH OF HIS

LOVE.

Ixiz

UCH sorrow in it sclfc my love

doth move;
Moremydispaire^tolove ahope--

lesse blisse;
My folly most, to love whom
sure to misse*
Oh, helpe me but this last greefe to remove;

All paines, if you commaund, it joy shall prove,
And wisedome to seeke joye; then say but this:
Because my pleasure in thy torment is,
I doe commaund thee writhout hope to love*

So when this thought my sorrow shall augment.
That mine owrne folly did procure my paine.
Then shall I say, to give my selfe content:
Obedience onely made me love in vaine;
It was your will, and not my want of writ;
I have the paine; beare you the blame of it*

Ixx

EEDES must I leave, and yet

nccdcs must I love,
In vaine my wit doth tell in verse

my woe;
Dispaire in me, Disdaine in thee
dooth shoe
How^ by my wit I doe my folly prove.

All this my hart from love can never move;
Love is not in my hart; no. Lady, no;
My hart is love it selfe; till I foregoe
My hart, I never can my love remove.

How can I then leave love.'' I doe intend
Not to crave grace, but yet to wish it still ;
Not to prayse thee, but beauty to commend;
And so by beauty's praise, praise thee I will.
For as my hart is love, love not in mee;
So beauty thou, beauty is not in thee.

bad

Y Reason, absent, did mine eyes

require
To watch and ward, and such

foes to descrie
As they should, neere my hart
approaching, spie.
But traitor eyes my hart's death did conspire;

(Corrupted with Hope's gyfts)let in Desire
To burne my hart, and sought no remedy,
Though store of water were in eyther eye
Which, well imployde, might w^el have quencht
the fire.

Reason returned. Love and Fortune made
Judges, to judge mine eyes to punishment:
Fortune, sith they by sight my hart betraid.
From w^ished sight adjudg d them banishment;
Love, sith by fire murdred my hart w^as found,
Adjudged them in teares for to be drow^nd.

Ixxii

ACH dayncwpfoofcs of

ncwc dispairc I findc,
Thatis.newcdcathcs; no

marvel! then though I
Make exile my last helpe,

to th' end mine eye
Should not behold the

death to me assignd*

Not that from death absence might save my

minde,
But that it might take death more patiently;
Like him the which, by Judge condemnd to die,
To suffer -with more ease his eyes doth blind.

Your lippes(in scarlet clad) my Judges be,
Pronouncing sentence of eternall No ;
Dispaire, the hangman that tormenteth me ;
The death I suffer is the life I have;
For onely life doth make me die in woe,
And onely death I for my pardon crave.

Ixxiis

INE eye with all the deadly sin--
nes is fraught:

First proud, sith it presum'd to
looke so hie,
A watchman being made, stoode gazing by;
IL
And idle, tooke no heede till I vv^as caught;

IIL

And envious, beares envie that by thought

Should in his absence be to her so nie.

To kill my hart, mine eye let in her eye,

IV.

And so consent gave to a murther wrought;

V.

And covetous, it never would remove

From her faire haire, gold so doth please his

sight;
VL

Vnchast, a baude betw^eene my hart and love;
VIL

A glutton eye, with teares drunke every night*
These sinnes procured have a Goddesse' ire,
Wherfore my hart is damnd in Love's sweet fire.

Ixxiv

F true love might true fove's fC'-

ward obtainc,
Dumbc wonder onely might

speake of my joy ;
But too much worth hath made
thee too much coy,
And told me long agoe I sigh'd in vaine.

Not then vaine hope of undeserved gaine
Hath made me paint in verses mine annoy,
But for thy pleasure, that thou might*st enjoy
Thy beauty's praise, in glasses of my paine.

See then thy selfe (though me thou wilt not

heare).
By looking on my verse : for paine in verse.
Love doth in paine, beautie in love, appeare.
So, if thou wouldst my verses' meaning see.
Expound them thus, w^hen I my love rehearse
None loves like him; that is, None faire like

mee.

Ixxv

OMTIMES in verse I praisd,

somtime I sigh'd,
No more shal pen with love and

beauty mell,
[But to my hart alone my hart shall
tell
How unseene flames doe burne it day and night;

Lest flames give light, light bring my love to

sight,
And my love prove my foUie to excelL
Wherefore my love burnes like the fire of hell,
Wherein is fire, and yet there is no light.

For if one never lov'd like mee, then why
Skillesse blames hee the thing hee doth not

knowt^
And hee that so hath lov'd should favour show^,
For hee hath been a foole as well as I ;
Thus shall hence'-forth more pain more folly

have,
And folly past may justly pardon crave.

Ixxvi

I

FOURE SONNETS

TO

SIR PHILLIP SIDNEY'S SOULE,

Ixxvii

IVE pardon (blessed soule) to my

bold cryes
If they (impof tun'd) interrupt thy
song,

Which nowe with joyfuU notes

thou sing'st, among
The angel '-quiristers of heav'nly skyes.

Give pardon eake (sweet soule) to my slow-
eyes,^
That since I saw^ thee now^ it is so long,
And yet the teares that unto thee belong
To thee as yet they did not sacrifice.

I did not know^ that thou w^ert dead before,
I did not feel the griefe I did susteine;
The greater stroke astonisheth the more.
Astonishment takes from us sence of paine;
I stood amaz'd w^hen others* teares begun,
And now begin to w^eepe, when they have
doone.

^The Apologie for Poetrie has ''cries,'' which,
though it has never been challenged, is clearly an
error.
Ixxviii

there to excell;

WEETsoule! which
now with heavenly
songs doost tel

Thy deare Redeemer's glo-
ry, and his prayse,

No mervaile though thy
skilful! Muse assayes

The songs of other soules

For thou didst learne to sing divinely w^ell,
Long time before thy fayre and glittering rayes
Encreas'd the light of heav'n, for even thy layes
Most heavenly were, w^hen thou on earth didst
dw^eL

When thou didst on the earth sing Poet'-wise,
Angels in heav'n pray'd for thy company;
And now^ thou sing st with Angels in the skies,
Shall not all Poets praise thv memory ^
And to thy name shall not their works give fame
When as their works be sweetned by thy namer'

Ixxix

VEN as when great men's heires

cannot agree,
Soev'ry vertueno\vfor part of thee

doth sue;
Courage prooves by thy death thy
hart to be his due,
Eloquence claimes thy tongue, and so doth
courtesy;

Invention knowledge sues, judgment sues me*-

mory,
Each saith thy head is his, and w^hat end shall

ensue
Of this strife know^ I not; but this I know^ for

true,
That w^hosoever gaines the sute, the losse have

wee;

Wee (I meane all the w^orld) ; the losse to all per--

taineth;
Yea they w^hich gaine doe loose, and onely thy

soule gaineth;
For loosing of one life, two lives are gained then*
Honor thy courage mov'd, courage thy death

did give;
Death, courage, honor, makes thy soule to live,
Thy soule to live in Heav'n, thy name in tongues

of men*

Ixxx

RE AT Alexander then did well

declare
How great was his united King-
denies might,
When ev'ry Captaine of his Army
might
After his death with mighty Kings compare;

So now^ we see after thy death, how^ far
Thou dost in worth surpasse each other Knight,
When we admire him as no mortall w^ight
In w^hom the least of all thy vertues are;

One did of Macedon the King become.
Another sat in the Egiptian throne,
But onely Alexander s selfe had all.
So curteous some, and some be liberall.
Some witty, wise, valiaunt, and learned some,
But King of all the vertues thou alone.

Ixxxi

TO THE DIVINE PROTECTION OF
THE LADIE ARBELLA,THE AUTHOR
COMMENDETH BOTH HIS GRACE'S
HONOUREANDHIS MVSE'SiETER^
NITIE.

I Y Mistfissc' worth gave wings

unto my Muse,
And my Muse wings did give
unto her name ;

So, like twin byrds, my Muse

bred with her fame,
Together now^ doe learne theyre wings to use.

And in this booke, w^hich heere you may peruse,
Abroad they flye, resolved to try the same
Adventure in theyre flight; and thee, sweet

dame!
Both she and I for oure protectoure chuse;

I by my vow, and she by farther right,
Vnder youre Phoenix ja presume to flye;
That from all carrion beakes in saftie might
By one same w^ing be shrouded, she and I.
O happie if I might but flitter there.
Where yow^ and shee and I should be so neare!

J0 a word is w^anting: perhaps ''wing*'
Ixxxii

OFTHE DEATH OF MY LADIE RICH'S
DAUGHTER. SHEWING THE REAS-
ON OF HER UNTIMELY DEATH HIN-
DRED HER EFFECTINGTHOSE
THINGS WHICH BY THE FORMER
CALCULATION OF HER NATIVITYE
HE FORETOLD.

E that by skill of stars doth fates

foretell,
If reason give the verdit of his

side,
Though by mischance things
otherwise betyde
Then he foretold, yet doth he calcule wrell.

A Phoenix, if she live, must needs excell;
And this, by reason's lawes, should not havedy'd;
But thus it chanct: nature cannot abyde
More than one Phoenix in the world to dw^elL

Now as the mother Phoenix death should slay,
Her beauty's light did dazle so his eye.
As, w^hile he blindfold let his arrow^e flye.
He slew the yonge one w^hich stood in the w^ay*
Thus did the mother scape; and thus did I,
By good ill hap, fayle of my prophecie.

Ixxxiii

SPIRITUALL SONNETTES

TO

THE HONOUR OF

GOD

e-

HYS SAYNTES.

BY

H. C.

Ixxxiv

TO GOD THE FATHER

RE ATE God, within whose

sympic essence wee
Nothyng but that w^hich ys thy

selfe can fynde,
When on thy self thou dydd'st re-
flect thy mynde,
Thy thought was God, which tooke the forme
of thee;

And when this God, thus borne, thou lov'st, and

hee
Lov'd thee agayne, w^ith passion of lyke kynde,
(As lovers' syghes, which meete become one

w^ynde),
Both breathed one spryght of aequall Deitye.

^ternall Father, whence theis twoe doe come,
And wil'st the tytle of my Father have,
An heavenly knowledge in my minde engrave.
That yt thy Sonne's true Image may become;
And sente my hart with syghes of holy Love,
That yt the temple of the Spright may prove.

Ixxxv

TO GOD THE SONNE.

RE ATE Pryncc of heaven, be*-

gotten olF that Kyng
Who rules the kyngdome that

himself dyd make;
And of that vyr gyn'-Queene man's
shape did take,
Which from kynge Davyd's royal stock dyd
sprynge;

No mervayle though thy byrth mayd angells

synge.
And angells* dyttes shepehyrdes' pipes awake;
And kynges lyke shepehyrdes, humbled for thy

sake,
Kneele at thy feete, Or guyftes of homage brynge.

For heaven & earth, the hyghe Gr lowre estate,
As partners of thy byrth make aequall clayme:
Angells, because in heaven God the begatt,
Sheepehyrdes €r kynges, because thy mother

came
From pryncely race, & yet, by povertye,
Mayd glory shyne in her humillityc.

bcxxvi

TO GOD THE HOLY^GHOST.

TERNALL Spryght:
which art in heaven
the Love
With which God and his
Sonne ech other
kysse;
And who, to shewe who
God's beloved ys,

The shape and wynges

took'st of a loving dove;

When Chryste, ascendyng, sent the from above
In fyery tongues, thou cam'st dow^ne unto hys,
That skyll in utteryng heavenlv mysteryes,
By heate of zeale, both faith 6- love myght move*

True God of Love, from w^hom all true love

sprynges,
Bestowe upon my love thy wynges & fyre,
My sow^le a spyrytt ys, G* with thy wynges
May lyke an aungell fly from earth's desyre;
And w^ith thy fyre a hart inflam'd may beare,
And in thy syght a Seraphin appeare.

Ixxxvii

TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.

HEN thee (o holy sacrificed

Lambe)
In severed sygnes I whyte &

liquid see,
As in thy body slayne I thynke
on thee,
Which pale by sheddyng of thy bloode became.

And \vhen agayne I doe behold the same
Vayled in wrhyte to be receav'd of mee,
Thou seemest in thy syndon wrapt to bee
Like to a corse, whose monument I am.

Buryed in mee, unto my soule appeare,
Pryson'd in earth, Gr bannisht from thy syght,
Lyke our forefathers w^ho in lymbo were,
Cleere thou my thoughtes, as thou did'st gyve

them light,
And as thou others freed from purgyng fyre
Quenche in my hart the flames of badd desyre.

Ixxxviii

TO OUR BLESSED LADY.

N that (O Quccnc of Qucenes) thy

byr th was free
From guylt, which others do of

grace bereave,
When in theyr mother's w^ombe
they lyfe receave,
God as his solc'-borne daughter loved thee.

To matche thee, lyke thy byrth's nobillitye,
He thee hys Spyryt for thy spouse dyd leave,
Of whome thou dydd'st his onely Sonne con-

ceave.
And so w^ast lynk'd to all the Trinitye.

Cease then, O Queenes who earthly crownes do

weare.
To glory in the pompe of worldly thynges;
If men such hyghe respect unto yow beare
Which daughters, wyves, & mothers ar of

kynges.
What honour should unto that Queene be donne
Who had your God for father, spouse Gr sonne !

Ixxxix

m

To ST. MYCHAELLTHE ARCH ANGEL.
HEN as the pryncc of angcUs,

puff d with prydc,
Styrr'd his seditious spyrittes to
rebell,
^ God choose for cheife his cham-
pion Michaell;
And gave hym charge the hoste of heaven to
guyde.

And vv^hen the Angells of the rebells' syde
Vanquisht in battayle from theyr glory fell,
The pryde of heaven became the drake of hell,
And in the dungeon of dispayre was tyed.

Thys dragon, synce lett loose, God's Church

assaird.
And shee by helpe of Mychaell's swroarde pre-

vail'd.
Who ever try'd adventures lyke thys knyght;
Which, generall of heaven, hell overthrew^er'
For such a lady as God's spouse dyd fyght.
And such a monster as the Dyvell subdue r'

xc

TO ST. IHON BAPTIST

S Anne, longc barren,

Mother dyd become
Of hym who last was

Judge in Israeli,
Thou, last of prophetts

borne, lyke Samuell,
Dydd'st from a w^ombe

past hope of issue

come<

Hys mother sylent spake; thy father, dombe,
Recoveryng speache, God's w^onder dyd foretell ;
He after death a prophet was in hell;
And thou unborne within thy mother's wombe.

He dyd annoynte the kynge, w^hom God dyd

take
From charge of sheepe to rule his chosen land;
But that highe Kynge w^ho heaven & earth did

make
Receav'd a holyer lyquour from thy hand.
When God his flocke in humayne shape did

feede.
As Israeli's kynge kept hisinsheepehird'sw^eede.

xci

TO ST. PETER AND ST PAUL.

E that for fcarc hys maystcr dyd

dcnyc,
And at a mayden's voycc amazed

stoodc,
The myghtyest monarche of the
earth withstoode,
And on his mayster's crosse rejoyc'd to dye.

He vv^hose blynde zeale dyd rage with cruehye,
And helpt to shedd the fyrst of martyrs' bloode,
By lyght from heaven hys blyndenesse under--

stoode,
And with the cheife Apostle slayne doth lye.

O three tymes happy tw^oe; O golden pay re!
Who with your bloode dyd lay the church's

grounde
Within the fatall tow^ne w^hich tw^ynnes did

founde,
And setled there the Hebrew fisher's chayre,
Where fyrst the Latyn sheepehyrd rais'd his

throne,
And synce the world Gr church were rul'd by

one.

xcii

TO ST. MARY MAGDALEN,

OR fc>vc nyghtcs solace in

dclitious bcdd,
Where heate of luste dyd kyndle

flames of hell,
Thou nak'd on naked rocke in
desert cell
Lay thirty yeares, and teares of grief dyd shedd.

But for that tyme thy hart there sorrowed,
Thou now in heaven aeternally dost dw^ell;
And for ech teare w^hich from thyne eyes then

fell
A sea of pleasure now ys rendered.

If short delyghtes entyce my hart to straye,
Lett me by thy longe pennance learne to knowe
How dear I should for triflyng pleasures paye ;
And if I vertue's roughe beginnyng shunne,
Lett thy aeternall joyes unto me showe
What hyghe rew^arde by lyttle paine ys w^onne.

XClll

TO ST. KATHARYNE.

ECAUSE thou wast the daughter

of a kyng,
Whose beautye dyd all nature's

workes exceede,
And wyssdome wonder to the
world dyd breede,
A muse myght rayse yt self on Cupid's w^ynge.

But syth theys graces w^hich from nature sprynge
Were graced by those which from grace dyd

proceede,
And glory haith deserved, my Muse doth neede
An angell's feathers w^hen thy prayse I synge;

For all in thee became angelycall;

An angeirs face had angells' puritye ;

And thou an angelFstonguedid'stspeakewithalL

Loe w^hy thy sowle, sett free by martyrdome,

Was croun'd by God in angells' company,

And angells' handes thy body dyd intombe.

xciv

TO ST. MARGARETT.

AYRE Amazon of heaven,

-who took'st in hand
St. Mychaell Gr St. George

to imitate,
And for a tyrant's love trans'-

form'd to hate.
Wast for thy lylly faith re^-

tayn'd in bande ;

Alone on foote, & with thy naked hande
Thou dydd'st lyke Mychaell & his hoste; & that
For which on horse arm'd George we celebrate;
Whylst thou, lyke them, a dragon dydd'st with'-
stand.

Behold my sowle shutt in my body's jayle,
The w^hich the drake of hell gapes to devoure ;
Teache me, (o virgyn), how thou dydd'st pre-

vayle.
Virginity, thou saiest, was all thy ayde;
Gyve me then purity in steade of power,
And let my soule, mayd chaste, passe for a Mayde.

xcv

TO OUR BLESSED LADY.

:yngcs

OVEREIGNE of Qycc^
ncs ! if vaync ambition
move
My hart to scckc an earthly

pry nee* s grace;
Sheweme thy Sonne in his
imperiall place,

Whose servants reigne our

queenes above.

And if alluryng passions I doe prove
By pleasyng sighes, shewe me thy lovely face;
Whose beames the angells' beuty do deface,
And even inflame the seraphins with love.

So by ambition I shall humble bee,

When in the presence of the highest kynge

I serve all his, that he may honour mee.

And love my hart to chaste desyres shall brynge,

When fayrest queene lookes on me from her

throne.
And, jealous, byddes me love but her alone.

xcvi

TO OUR BLESSED LADY.

HYshouldlanylove^OQuccnc,

but thcc ^
If favour past a thankful! love

should breed,
Thy wombe dyd beare, thy
brest my Saviour feede;
And thou dyddest never cease to succour me.

If love doe foUowe worth and dignitye,
Thou all in thy perfections doest exceede ; J£I
If Love be ledd by hope of future meede,
What pleasure more then thee in heaven to see ^

An earthly syght doth onely please the eye,
And breedes desyre, but does not satisfye;
Thy sight gyves us possession of all joye,
And with such full delyghtes ech sence shal fyll,
As harte shall wyshe but for to see thee styll,
And ever seyng, ever shall injoye.

fi- "thy*' conjectured
xcvii n

TO OUR BLESSED LADY.

I WEETE Quccne, although thy

beuty raysc upp mcc
From syght of baser bcutyes here

belowe,
Yett lett me not rest there, but
_ joe

To hym, who tooke hys shape from God &
thee.

And if thy forme in hym more fayre I see,
What pleasure from his deity shall flowe,
By ^vhose fayre beames his Joeutye shineth so,
When I shall yt behold aeternally.

Then shall my love of pleasure have his fyll.
When beuty self, in wrhom all pleasure ys,
Shall my enamored sowle embrace Cr kysse;
And shall newe loves, Gr newe delyghtes distyll.
Which from my sowle shall gushe into my hart,
And through my body flowe to every part.

XCVlll

TO ST. MARY MAGDALEN.

LESSED offcndour, who thy self

haist try'd
How faff a synncf dyffcf s ff om a

Saynt,
Joync thy w^ctt eyes w^ith teaf es
of my complaint,
While I sighe fof that gf ave fof which thou cfy'd.

No longer let my synfuU sowle abyde

In feaver of thy fif st desyf es faynte ;

But lett that love which last thy haft did taynt

With panges of thy f epentance pief ce my syde.

So shall my sowle no foolysh vvfgyn bee,
With empty lampe; but lyke a Magdalen beefe,
For oyntment boxe, a breast w^ith oyle of grace ;
And so the zeale w^hich then shall burne in mee
May make my hart lyke to a lampe appere,
And in my spouse's pallace gyve me place.

xcix

TO ST. MARY MAGDALEN,

UCH as fctyr'd from sight

of men, lykc thcc
By pcnnancc scckc the joy'-

es of heaven to wynne,
In desartes make theyr par »-

adyce begynne,
And even amongst wylde

beastes do angells see.

In such a place my sowrle doth seeme to bee
When in my body she laments her synne;
And none but brutall passions fyndes therin,
Except they be sent down from heaven to mee,

Yett if those graces God to me impart
Which He inspyr'd thy blessed brest withall,
I may fynde heaven in my retyred hart;
And if thou change the object of my love,
The wyng'd affection which men Cupid call
May gett his syght, & like an angell prove.

TO ST. MARY MAGDALEN.

WEETE Saynt,thow better canst

declare to me
What pleasure ys obteyn'd by

heavenly love
Then they whych other loves dyd
never prove,
Or which in sexe ar differyng from thee.

For lyke a woman spowse my sow^le shal bee,
Whom synfuU passions once to lust did move,
And synce betrothed to God's sonne above,
Should be enamored w^ith his deitye.

My body ys the garment of my spryght,
Whyle as the day tyme of my lyre doth last;
When death shall brynge the nyght of my

delight,
My soule, uncloth'd, shall rest from labours past;
And, clasped in the armes of God, injoye,
By sw^eete conjunction, everlastyng joye.

g^ Amen. (^ Amen. ^^ Amen.

ci

J|!HERE ENDS THIS EDITION OF
POEMS AND SONNETS BY HENRY
CONSTABLE, EDITED FROM EARLY
EDITIONS AND MANUSCRIPTS BY
JOHN GRAY, WITH WOOD CUT BOR-
DER 6- DECORATIONS EXECUTED
BY CHARLES RICKETTS, UNDER
WHOSE SUPERVISIONTHE BOOK
HAS BEEN PRINTED AT THE
BALLANTYNE PRESS.

JlSSold by Messrs. Hacon Gr Ricketts at the sign
of the Dial, lii Warwick Street, Regent Street.

LONDON
mdcccxcvii i^S'^

Two hundred

Gr

ten copies.

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